Cradle Of Filth - Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness Of Decay

“Hammer Of The Witches” proved that there was more fuel inside the CRADLE OF FILTH tank and I am sure that some of the Dani haters came close to eat their words up and admit that comparing the old with the new has become old... Especially if you consider the current age of a genre-shaping band like CRADLE OF FILTH was back in the '90s when it opened the doors for Gothic to enter and added a different angle in Black Metal. And just any other living entity the band has evolved, changed and changed again into the form that is proven to be resilient with “Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness Of Decay” being a solid proof that the new lineup knows exactly how to create the type of cleanerfilth we started to love with “Median”. Yeah, I am talking about a fine blend of aggression and catchy melodies able to haunt your dreams and give you a good headbanging time.

The two-minute intro is pompous and Horror film-like enough to lift the curtain and let Dani’s ripping and trademark scream open the gates. And right here, I believe there is a difference in the way he is delivering the vocals which - I think - it is attributed to less use of effects in the way he is handling the mic duties for DEVILMENT. Unless, I have been so accustomed to his screaming that everything seems natural... Music-wise, it sounds like the lineup has gained more confident and so, the songs are more CRADLE OF FILTH. Yeah, the way the riff passes the baton to “Heartbreak And Seance” hittingthe higher bpms is as it should be; addictive and blast-beat fast. The Symphonic finishing touches do extremely well with the snare drum action while the breakdowns with Dani spearheading will get you singing / screaming along right away. I love how the bass steps forward into the mix and you can enjoy this in the slower break just before the guitar solo. It also feels that the guitar duo had more studio freedom since the solo sounds without overstepping the trademark CRADLE OF FILTH sound. So, one can say that the band has taken some steps in the past by stepping straight into the future...

The really low register almost spoken lyrics and Church Organ-esque keyboards introduce the first potential album hit; “Achingly Beautiful” has all the elements the fan of the latest CRADLE OF FILTH loves to hear. The snare-drum based rhythm, the rhythm/tempo changes, the female vocals and the riff to chant along (the way this gains speed is awesome) are elements that make things setlist-worthy material. I think this is as close to “Median” as this version of CRADLE OF FILTH can get.

And speaking of sounding like the old(er) days, then the album track can be a nice trip down the memory lane. The abundance of blast beats, fast riffs and spitting lyrics will satisfy your sweet tooth and then serve another worthy to sing-along riff before throwing you into the mosh-pit with a Thrash-like drum-driven break. I guess it is safe to say that this lineup has found the golden mean between Black Metal aggression and catchy / melodic passages. This is exactly how my album favorite works; the almost nine minutes of “Death And The Maiden” go through the entire CRADLE OF FILTH spectrum starting off with the pompous orchestrations that pay homage to the band’s Gothic roots. The groovy mid-tempo rhythm section will get you hooked along with the keyboard atmospheric sounds which compliment Dani narrative singing / growling / screaming. The keyboard theme which appears in rotation has B/W Horror film aesthetics and this, my friends, never fails.

Indeed, “Hammer Of The Witches” was not a fluke and just happened to be good; “Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness Of Decay” continues on the same momentum and sounds like a solid successor to the first album of the new CRADLE OF FILTH with a most capable lineup to keep the history of the band going.